UEFA Champions League 2006-2007

Soccer may not be the most popular sport in North America, but between EA and Konami, it’s safe to say that a sufficient number of ‘futbol’ titles still get released every year. Numbers have not exactly equated to quality, though, and with the exception of the Winning Eleven series, most offerings have left little to be desired. Luckily, for EA, this years Winning Eleven for the Xbox 360 didn’t exactly get the next-gen makeover that many were hoping for, so there’s definitely room for an outsider to snag its crown.

Enter UEFA Champions League 2006-2007: EA’s most recent entry, and first real attempt at doing something creative in the sport. The gameplay itself isn’t vastly different from their past games, but its card collecting and trading aspect is definitely on the refreshing and addictive side. This feature might not be enough to convince the beloved followers of the competition to switch sides, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

The ultimate team mode is the place to start for anyone wanting to dive right into the card collecting goodness. The goal here is to assemble a franchise starting from the ground up in hopes of eventually earning yourself a ‘golden ticket,’ which will then grant you access to compete in the coveted Champions League. This isn’t necessarily new to sports games as most of you know, but the process you take to build your squad most certainly is. All of this becomes possible by opening packs of virtual trading cards that contain a variety of players, coaches, managers, stadiums, kits, trainers, and even attribute boosts. These packs literally contain everything you will need to get started, but keep in mind they do cost money.

When you first start the ultimate team mode, you are given a few complimentary packs to help get you going. These will net you a few basic essentials like a manager, jerseys, and enough players to compete in the first match, but not much else. The key is to play a solid game of soccer each time out, because the money you use to purchase these packs is based upon your performance on the pitch. Winning the game while not committing silly fouls will certainly help, but giving up goals, collecting yellow and red cards, or losing frequently will drastically reduce the amount of credits you received after the match.

To make things a little more difficult, there’re three different types of packs available: bronze, silver, and gold. Initially, bronze is the only color you have access to, and is fairly cheap to purchase, which certainly helps build a basic squad. Access to the silver and gold packs comes after your team wins a few matches and increases in level. Of course, you will have to do more than just blaze through packs looking for players with the highest rating. Each player card has a plethora of information attached to it including their nationality, natural positions, and favorite formations. All of these will have to be considered when building a team, because team chemistry relies heavily on these factors. Matching players and coaches together who have the same nationality and formation preference can be priceless, so much so that a lesser talented squad with good chemistry can outperform a group of unhappy highly skilled players most of the time.

One of the more surprisingly addictive aspects of trading cards is the ability to sell them online, and the process couldn’t be easier. After opening a pack, all of the cards you didn’t wish to incorporate into your franchise can either be added to your collection, discarded, or placed into the trading pile. The trading pile is the list of cards that you wish to sell, for any amount that you wish to charge. The only downside is that you’re limited to 10 cards at any given time, but I found this to be a quick way to earn some much needed credits. I also found that many people sell very good cards at some rock-bottom prices just to get rid of them, and at one point I even stopped opening packs altogether because it just wasn’t cost efficient anymore. Why purchase a few silver or gold packs to find that crucial Striker when you can just buy him online for a fraction of the price?   

For those who may not be interested in card collecting, you will be pleased to know that plenty of other modes exist as well. While the traditional season and franchise modes have been left out, you can still take the pitch as many of your favorite teams and compete in the Champions League. Also available are challenge mode, which lets you relive some great moments from past Champions League matches, and the lounge mode, which lets you and some friends play against each other while recording all the data and statistics. This is certainly helpful when bragging rights are on the line, or when you want to know who scores the most goals or who the better defender is.

Those familiar with FIFA 07 will feel mostly at home in the gameplay department, with a few exceptions of course. For starters, the pace of the action has been reduced, and it does the game wonders in the end. Less matches turn into shootouts, less fouls are called, and an overall more tactical game can be played. Also, the tried-and-true formula of sweeping down the wing and crossing passes into the penalty area with success is much harder now. Sometimes so much patience and precise passing is required that the end-resulting goal resembles those found in Winning Eleven, which is definitely a move in the right direction for any EA soccer title.

Unfortunately, there are still a few annoyances that keep UEFA from joining the elite gaming fold. Changing players has now been mapped to the left trigger, which is both awkward and downright unresponsive at times. To make matters worse, it sometimes switches to the wrong defensive player in crucial situations, leaving you with only the CPU-controlled teammate to save you from defeat. You will also notice players accumulate momentum while running, and changing directions very quickly is almost impossible to do. This is for the most part a welcomed addition, but this can also add to the frustration when having to compensate for the lack of precision when switching defenders. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you just cannot stop the opposition from dribbling into the penalty box unchallenged.

Had it not been for new creative path that EA took with the card-trading feature, UEFA just wouldn’t be able to keep up with the competition. The gameplay is solid, but there’s just not enough new tweaks to warrant another soccer release based solely on the action. Thankfully, trading and collecting is so addictive and downright fun that every soccer fan should at least try this game. Innovation and creativity will be the key to moving the sports genre forward, and while this may not be the complete answer, it’s definitely a move in the appropriate direction.

Gameplay: 7.9
Imagine FIFA 07 with a few minor tweaks for the better. A slower pace, improved goalies, and smarter defenses help even out the sides. Combine this with the new card-collecting feature and you have one of the most refreshing sports titles in years.

Graphics: 8.0
EA has never had a problem with presentation, and it’s no different this time around. Some of the players' faces are very badly portrayed however, but the crowds, stadiums, and animations are for the most part very well done.

Sound: 8.0
The play-by-play is handled nicely, crowds erupt in applause and chant mostly when they should, and I must say the soundtrack is one of my favorite so far this year. Its mixture of ambient and world music is perfect for the variety of players and teams, and should be a standard for future soccer titles. Also, the in-game updates of scores from around the Champions League are simply awesome. A must for future games as well.    

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
The idea of implementing card collecting and trading into a sports game may not seem like a novel idea at first, but once you see it in action, it totally makes sense. The only downfall is that it kept me wanting more.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Up to four players can play together online, and it was lag free most of the time for me. The biggest problem was the decision to allow players to disconnect during matches with no penalty. This pretty much means everyone who is losing just quits instead, therefore saving he or herself a notch I the loss column. 

Overall: 7.9
UEFA Champions League will surprise most people with its creativity and innovation. It may not be up to par with the competition quite yet, but the card collecting and trading feature makes this a must try for all soccer fans.